


Let Me Love You

by durotos



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Genre: F/M, I finally wrote a lemon, Married Couple, Please be gentle, Sexy Times, This is my first explicit work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 08:46:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16092131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/durotos/pseuds/durotos
Summary: It was often hard for him to understand why he deserved her love, but as he looked into those sapphire eyes, he decided to stop questioning it for the moment.





	Let Me Love You

The musical sound of the cork popping out of the bottle was a familiar one to the couple’s ears. With careful, steady hands, the young man poured two glasses of wine, admiring the beverage’s lovely shade of pale gold.  Claire absentmindedly twisted her wedding ring on her finger as she watched.

“So… um… what to say?” She watched his eyes drift to the ceiling as he attempted to come up with a toast.  The way his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed as he sucked on his top lip made her smile; he was putting some serious thought into this.

And why shouldn’t he? It was a special day, after all.  Despite this, a pang of guilt struck his stomach and he recited a small prayer in apology.

“Three years is both a long time and a wink,” she supplied with a kind smile. She looked at the opened bottle of moscato that had been provided by his employers for the occasion.  “I’m really happy with how far you’ve come.  I know it’s about more than just employment to you…”

His wide eyes flicked to her and back at the surface of the table. “Three years ago, I was given more than just a job at the winery.  It was something I thought I’d never get again...  I got a fresh start, the care of two people who now see me as a son…”  His uneasy feelings were brushed away as he looked back up at her and took her hands in his, color dusting his cheeks.  “And… I was given enough hope to allow myself to believe I could have a chance with you.”

A lump formed in Claire’s throat unexpectedly. While his words were unbelievably sweet to her, his reminder that their future had not always been set in stone made her heart ache a little bit.  The bright smile on her husband’s face set her worries at ease.  They had both come so far in these past few years.

“It’s… a lot to celebrate.” His hand drifted to her cheek and he cupped it, tangling his fingers through her blonde locks.

She closed her eyes, feeling the color rush to her face. Even after a couple of years of marriage, he still managed to tease a blush out of her fairly regularly.  “Cliff… there’s no one I’d rather celebrate with,” she replied, placing her hand over his.

“And there’s no one else I’d rather toast to, Claire,” he returned.

Her eyes fluttered open; she loved the way his soft voice said her name. “T-to _me_?  I would think this toast would be to Duke and Manna…”

He gave her a warm smile. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even been there to be offered the job in the first place.  And that’s why… I want to thank you.”  He shyly held up his wine glass for a toast.

Claire’s upturned lips twitched with emotion as she clanked her glass against his. After a quick sip of wine, she leaned across the table, stroking his hand with hers.  “I have just as much to thank you for, you know…”

Flustered, he ducked his head. “This isn’t a contest, but…”  His words drifted off as he turned from pink to red.

Claire watched him curiously. Cliff’s smile was one that always brought warmth to her heart.  This afternoon, however, his eyes had a bit of worry to them, and she set her lips in a small pout.

“I wasn’t trying to compete.” Her words were honest, but there was a playful edge to them as she hoped to encourage him to relax so he could speak to her.

At this, his smile faded a bit as he stared at the surface of the table, his wine forgotten. He let go of her hands.  “I’m sorry…  I didn’t mean to make it sound that way, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you without expecting any sort of thanks in return…”

Claire’s eyes widened in surprise; she had assumed he’d pick up on her tone. He normally was able to read her much better.  She found worry lines forming into her brow.  “Honey…”  She sat down beside him and tilted his chin up with a gentle touch.  “Did… something happen today?”

The young man’s brow immediately knitted and she could feel him gulping. “Ah, I-I’m that obvious, huh?  I’m sorry…”  He closed his eyes, hanging his head in shame.

She leaned into him, eager to be a source of comfort for him. “Would it help to talk about it?”

Claire always asked this question, and the answer was always the same. She was thrilled that as their relationship had grown closer, her husband was very open and honest with her about his failures and mistakes.  She would often remind him that his errors didn’t make him a bad person, and Claire found herself talking about her own shortcomings more often as well.

He took hold of her index finger lightly as he regularly did when confessing. Asking to hold all of her fingers felt like too great of a request when he was berating himself.  “When Duke was running some errands, I was moving stuff around.  I dropped an empty cask down the cellar stairs and cracked it.  They’re going to have to buy a new one…  I offered to pay and they refused.”

“I’m sure Duke and Manna weren’t too mad,” Claire supplied, using a soothing tone of voice. Her honorary in-laws had been nothing but supportive of their employee.

He let out a soft sigh. “Manna came running into the cellar in tears because she thought I had fallen down the stairs…”  He hung his head in embarrassment.  “I would’ve preferred it if they had been angry.  They were so nice about it that it just made me feel worse.  They hardly knew me and they took me in, and now I’m making them lose money and they don’t even care.”  Cliff shook his head.  “I just don’t get it.”

She placed a comforting hand on his. “It’s because they love you, Cliff.  The cost of a cask is nothing to them.”

His posture stiffened. “It’s actually pretty expensive, Claire.”  His voice had an edge to it as he backed away a little.  “I’ve seen the prices in the catalogues Duke orders from…”

“Money is nothing compared to a loved one being safe,” Claire insisted. She saw that his eyes were shiny and she took his hands firmly, holding them over her heart.  She knew he was equating money with security, as he often did.  It was a hard habit for him to shake, spending so much of his life wondering where he was going to be resting his head in the future.  “You are worth so much more than something as boring and common as money.”

His eyes widened. He truly wanted to believe her, but he was still mad at his foolish mistake that day.  At the moment, he didn’t feel like he worth much of anything at all.

His body language had said everything. “You are so loved,” Claire continued, giving his fingers a kiss.  “I absolutely _adore_ you.”  Her words were earnest.  “And you deserve to be loved.”

A hint of a blush formed on his cheeks as he looked up from the table. “I adore you, too…”

She leaned in and rested her forehead against his, messing up their bangs as blonde locks meshed with brown. “Cliff,” she whispered, “let me love you.”

Their eyes met and he turned pinker.

“I _want_ to,” she breathed into his ear.  “I want to _so bad_.”

“I-I, uh…” Her hungry words always turned him into a stammering mess, even after a couple of years of marriage.  “I don’t… want you to p-pity me,” he finally said with a sigh.

She frowned. “There’s a difference between pitying someone and genuinely wanting them to be happy.”  She tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind his ear and leaned in to whisper once more.  “And we _do_ make each other ridiculously happy.”

He melted into her arms with a nod. He gave her a kiss and although it was a sweet, innocent-seeming gesture, she could feel his tongue slide across her lips.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Cliff…”  Her voice was soft, her lips slightly parted as her breathing increased in anticipation.

“I want it, too,” he murmured. “Making you happy will make me happy.  Let me love you, too.”

His lips moved to her cheek and she let out a tiny gasp as he placed a gentle trail of kisses down her neck. A satisfied hum escaped her mouth as he nimbly unfastened the top buttons of her shirt, eager to taste more of her skin.  She had such a beautiful heart, and such a beautiful body, too.  He wanted her to know how loved she was.

Claire worked at the belt on his tunic, knowing she needed to focus before she was lost in a haze. His sweet love was nice, but she wanted to make sure he fully understood her intentions.  She leaned in and gave him a deep kiss, swirling her tongue around his and sucking on it in a suggestive manner.  She needed the taste of his love, and her body started to ache for it.  She could feel her husband tremble as she pulled away from him with a noisy pop.

She had made her point. Perhaps he had taken a little too long to express the same thing, he thought with an inward smirk.

Cliff gazed at her, his eyes starry as he stood up from his seat and offered her both of his hands, his eyes flicking to the bed behind them before landing back on her. His eyes were vivacious and their wine was long forgotten.  Her eyes rested on the swell between his legs as she stood up, leaning in for another kiss.  She was glad to see that his tension was dissolving and she loved that they could share each other like this.  She cupped the back of his head with a gentle hand and resumed their kissing, rubbing herself against his tented pants.  With a little finessing, he hit her sensitive spot through all their layers of clothing and she bit back a small cry, wrapping her arms around him and grinding, eager to stroke their fire.

They worked together at a comfortable rhythm, biting back groans with rough kisses as he gripped her bottom, pushing her harder into him. It resulted in a mixture of groans, clumsy kisses, and playful chuckles.

Cliff felt like his knees were about to give out. Between her heavy breathing in his ear, tight squeezes, and rubbing against him, part of him was ready to bend her right over the table and have his way with her.

“Bed?” He breathed, his voice was barely above a whisper.

She responded with a nod and a kiss.

Their clothes had quickly been discarded in random places on the floor, but neither of them cared as they kissed and touched, falling onto the bed together. As Cliff removed Claire’s panties, he was enthralled to see that she was already very wet with excitement as she playfully bucked her hips up at him, eagerly looking at his own aroused parts with desire.

He held himself in one hand and slowly guided his length up and down the trail of wetness, listening to the lovely sounds it created from their rubbing and the from his partner’s hitched breaths. With an enthralled grin, she spread herself open and he watched with wide eyes as she took him in her hand and moved him around in her essence.  He loved when she used him to play with her own body.  His gaze moved from her flirty smile to his pink tip glistening with her fluids.  Cliff bit back a cry at the very image.  He wasn’t able to hold back his voice when she gripped him more firmly, stroking him noisily against her swollen nub with a moan.  They both cried together as his hips began to move with hers, his hardness silently asking for permission as it bumped at her entrance.

Claire writhed with pleasure. She enjoyed building up a tower and letting it crash down all around them.  Every kiss, every touch was a carefully placed brick.  She leaned forward and flicked her tongue across his lips, earning a soft gasp in return.  She could tell by the urgency in his voice that he was ready to proceed further.

His pulse quickened as their eyes met and she rested her hands on his pelvis, gently coaxing him closer to her. Cliff watched her eyes dip below his waist and move back to his face with hooded eyelids.  The young man gulped; that look knocked him senseless every time.  Claire was ready.  Without a single word, she had pleaded and begged with him to dive in.  Who was he to deny her?  Cliff’s body was aching with need; who was he to deny the both of them?

They had done it countless times, but he still felt his cheeks burn as she grinned up at him, silently asking for him. Cliff held his breath as he carefully guided himself inside of her and the initial rush of the sensations caused them to gasp in unison.  The young man smiled down at his bride, admiring her blonde hair splayed across the pillow and her rosy cheeks.  He marveled at how the simple act of coupling with her caused all sorts of adorable facial expressions.  A wave of euphoria played at his heart – she was so slippery and warm, and her hold on him was tight; they were a perfect fit for each other.

“Ah, how does that feel?”

Claire responded by nodding and pressing up to meet him, her body slicking him down, the only sound in the room the two of them sharing each other’s natural lubrication. She closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of their heated bodies, her movements slowly becoming more exaggerated with time as her body found its own natural tempo.  With Cliff, she felt whole, her heart full.  She lay with her eyes closed, mentally creating an image with the sounds and sensations she was experiencing.  She stifled a low moan.  He was so hard, and he was so loving and open with her.

He couldn’t get enough of her facial expressions. Her furrowed brow, her blush traveling down to her breasts, the way she bit her bottom lip – Claire was truly a beautiful woman, and seeing her like this…  His heart overflowed that they were able to experience this together.

He increased his pace, relishing in the way her bouncing breasts matched his rhythm, their rhythm. He reached forward and pinched a rosy nipple, earning a sharp cry as her body clamped down on him.  The ecstatic grin on her open mouth told him that it was a cry of delight.  She was far too cute…  The waves of stimulation made him a little hazed as he gave the other nipple a playful squeeze, her tightening causing a bigger swell of happiness and pleasure within his own heart and body.  A small gasp escaped Cliff’s lips at the way her muscles gripped him.  Claire wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer, causing him to push in deeper.  Her writhing and soft moans coaxed him into continuing, eager to make her exaggerate both.

He was always in disbelief as they reached this point, moving together as two parts of a whole. They were dazed in their fervor, high off of the physical sensations and the love overflowing in their hearts.  Both were tongue-tied as they normally were when they made love, simply enjoying the sounds of flesh on flesh and their ragged breath that played a lovely melody of their unbridled passion for one another.

Each of his thrusts was another brick laid on that tower Claire was carefully building, and it was time for her to start helping. Her dominant hand flew below her waist and her finger traced her most sensitive part.  The young woman braced herself against the bed with her free hand and pushed back, eager to give back as much love as she received.  She heard a soft but delighted chuckle from Cliff as her wordless “I love you”s reached him.

He decided to finally express it aloud. “You know I’m crazy about you, right?” he panted, his cheeks blooming with color.

At his words, her willingness to hang on wavered, and giving into their intoxicating feelings was becoming more and more inevitable. The bricks were reaching their maximum height and were ready to topple over.  Claire looked up at him with wide eyes; Cliff’s declarations of adoration never failed to move her.  Her finger stilled.

“I love you.” He pressed deeply into her and as their eyes locked, he silently held her close.

A lump formed in her throat as her emotions bubbled over. “I love you, too.”

He leaned forward and placed a rough kiss on her lips as he slowly guided their pace once more. She drank in his love as she swallowed his soft moans, their lips joined; nothing tasted sweeter to her.  Their kisses became clumsy as their pace picked up and they snuck breaths in between.  They shared one final kiss and she braced herself back on the bed, her hand returning to its previous spot as his body slapped against hers with a drive that was bigger than the both of them.

Her voice became freer as the bricks teetered, his body slamming into hers causing the blocks to crumble.

_Chip, chip, chip…_

Claire could hear the rhythm in their wet slapping and the creak of the bed. Her frayed moans joined the song.  She could tell that this was going to end marvelously.  Just as she felt a swell in her heart and the heat threatened to bubble over below her waist, her love’s body stopped moving and he held her hips against his in silence.

They were at the crest of the mountain, basking in the thin air and shivers the stillness had created, their skin covered in goose bumps and sweat. The only sound was their heavy breathing and their hearts hammering in their chests.

“I-I’m right there.” Cliff’s voice was soft.  He paused, looking down at his wife and admiring the way her gasping breaths caused her flushed breasts to rise and fall.

Claire gave him an impish smile and locked her legs around him tighter. “So am I,” she whispered.

Their eyes locked in silence as they shared a gaze of adoration.

He was hers.

She was his.

“Together.” His voice cracked as she gave him a flirty bump.  “Just let go.”

She was ready to smash the tension stirring within her, to let go and enjoy paradise together. She returned her hand to herself and her eyes widened at how swollen she had gotten in their arousal.  The young woman let out a small gasp.

_Just a few more thrusts and…_

Claire’s body grew rigid as she lost her voice trying to scream in ecstasy as it all hit her at once. Her blood ran cold, then hot.  Pleasure rushed through her veins as she trembled, all of her inhibition washed away.  She found her voice and cried out, convulsing a bit as she rode out her high, squeezing her eyes shut as she saw an array of vividly-colored swirls.  She didn’t care how loudly she screamed, or how tightly she gripped the bed sheets – all Claire could focus on were the sensations overtaking her and the love pouring out of her heart.  It was all a bit overwhelming, and tears fell from her eyes as she could hold no more feelings.

Cliff’s eyes widened as he watched her beautifully raw display. As her muscles fluttered against him, his own resistance crumbled and he let out a broken cry as he joined her, surrendering his body and soul to these pleasant feelings.  He felt his whole body tense as he gripped her hips tightly, burying himself into her deeply to finish.  He felt himself twitch as he released and saw stars.  His emotions and climax left him biting back a soft whine as he quivered, stammering her name.  Claire hushed her crying and sharply inhaled with a moan as she felt the soft warmth of his release rush inside of her.  She looked up at her partner with enthralled eyes, silently asking if he had any more for her.  Cliff responded with one final spurt and a soft gasp as she greedily squeezed him for every last drop.

The room spun as they echoed their chorus of happy cries and groans. They held each other as they shivered from emotion.  Their long hair stuck to the sweat on their faces, but they just panted happily, enjoying the feeling of being in love and being close to one another.

Her voice sore, she relaxed into the mattress as he carefully parted from her and placed a kiss on her sweaty lips.

“Strong one, huh?”

Claire looked up at him with a drunken smile, satisfied that she could still feel his warm fluid inside of her threatening to trickle out. “I wasn’t the only one screaming.”

Cliff’s already flushed cheeks darkened. He leaned over and gave her a deep kiss, brushing her blonde locks out of her face.  “It was kind of hard not to with the way you were moving.”

Claire grinned at him, letting out a content sigh. “I could say the same thing about you.”

He gave the apple of her cheek a light affectionate pinch as he went off to the bathroom.

Claire rested her hands over her heart and adjusted her position so as not to spill. She stared up at the ceiling.  She had grown so familiar with all of the knots and grains in the wood over the years, first looking up at it as a bewildered new homeowner in a strange land.  At what point had this place become comfortable?  At what point had this place become her home?  She had a feeling she knew when her heart swelled at her husband’s return.

A pair of content deep blue eyes sought hers as Cliff took a seat back down on the bed, a damp towel in hand. “I’ve got you, love.”

She closed her eyes and relaxed with a moan. She heard her husband’s breath hitch in awe as he observed the evidence of his pleasure rolling out of his partner.  He always cleaned her in silence, gentle and loving with his movements, happy to spend this time together as the fires of their passion calmed down, although that wasn’t to say that his fingers never wandered.  The occasional kiss made it to her knee and she let out a satisfied sigh.  He always finished washing her with a playful squeeze on her bottom that made her collapse into giddy giggles.

They laid together in each other’s arms as the room slowly darkened, the sun falling below the horizon.

“Thank you,” Cliff murmured, resting his chin on top of her head. “It’s impossible to stay sad when I’m with you.”

Claire nuzzled his bare chest. “You’re worthy of all the love in the world.  I’ll always be by your side.”

“And I’ll always be by yours, too, love.”

Cliff rested his eyes as they listened to the crickets outside, vaguely remembering that their wine sat on the table untouched. His plan had been to have a celebratory wine with Claire and try his best to forget about his mistake at work.  He held his wife closer with a smile, blinking his unexpectedly misty eyes.  There had always been something about Claire that caused him to open up more than he ever thought he could, and he was grateful for it.  If he was worthy of love, then she was worth so much more.  As the young woman’s breathing grew deeper and slower, Cliff thanked the gods for the wonderful hand that had been dealt to him.  It was a far cry from his prayers a few years ago, which were laced with desperation and fear as he wondered if he truly deserved a place to call home.

And now he had one. A better home than he could have ever hoped for and a life shared with his most precious person.  Whether they started a family soon or took over the winery someday, he knew that whatever came their way, they could face it together.

Cliff closed his eyes and continued to pray in gratitude.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I don't know what else to say other than here it is! I'm experimenting with my writing, and I wanted to try something new. I was surprised how fun this was to write. I hope you enjoy it! I would love to hear some feedback. :)


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